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Post by steampunkepsilon on Dec 4, 2011 18:46:56 GMT -5
[[ this will probably be short, but I'm interested! And scared!! ]]
Setcher slept deeply, laying curled up in the back of his cavern and snoring softly. His wounds would heal up nicely soon enough, thanks to Thorgrim's help.
It was so... surreal. To think that he had made such a close bond with the human boy after so short a time of knowing him. He didn't know what that might end up developing into -- just a very strong friendship, or... perhaps a dragon and rider sort of relationship. It was quite confusing, and he couldn't handle all that thought while concious and tired and sore, but now while he was soundly asleep, it was much easier to divide and conquer his thoughts. He recalled the incidents with the wolves, how Thorgrim had fought, and it made him feel... very respectful of the young man. He had put quite a lot of effort into keeping himself as well as his dragon accquaintance from harm...
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Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Dec 5, 2011 2:26:04 GMT -5
[[ It's okay xD Nothing terrible will happen. And WOOHOO! AN EARLY POST FROM ME! =D Hopefully I can keep this punctuality of mine up. ]]
Something unnerved Thorgim about this stranger. It was more than his tall height, his lithe build, and the fact that Thorgrim did not know him. There was something ominous in the way the stranger walked, as if the atmosphere around him grew colder with every breath. That, and the question that kept pounding at Thorgrim's mind - was this stranger following him? Why else would he be out in the middle of the forest? Drawing his longsword slightly out of its scabbard, Thorgrim repeated his question, his tone more provocative.
"I said, who are you?"
[/b] At the question, the stranger stopped a few feet away from Thorgrim, his face still hidden under the hood he wore that shunned the sunlight from his features. In one deliberate motion, the stranger folded his arms, and glared at Thorgrim - a penetrating gaze that unnerved Thorgrim even further. After what felt like hours of silence, the stranger replied, his monotonous, dark tone matching his semblance. The stranger wore a weathered green cloak, with faded leather boots to match. A band of black linen was wrapped around the lower part of his face, disguising it from view, and a hood concealed most of his head. "I'm a traveller from the West, seeking your village."[/b] he spoke, "and your name is..?"[/b] Not releasing his tense grip on his sword, Thorgrim carefully replied. "I'm Thorgrim. You say you're from the West and seeking our village. Why? And where exactly are you from?"[/b] Thorgrim expected the stranger to become irritated at the young Viking's response. But, for now he would play it safe - why divulge the location of his village to a complete stranger? Not that the village had any enemies, or was unprepared for an attack of some sort. Still, perhaps it was just the way this stranger presented himself that made Thorgrim suspicious. "I've travelled a tiresome distance, and am seeking a safe place to rest. The locals of this region told me that your village is nearby,"[/b] replied the stranger, his tone not changing, "as for where I am from - I have no particular home. I am nomadic. If you don't trust me, I can pass on and leave you and your village be..."[/b] Thorgrim blinked. "Er... No, it's fine. We're hospitable to travellers."[/b] The Viking did not want to betray his village's long tradition of being hospitable to friendly travellers. But, still, he could not shake his suspicions... "Keep going in the direction you're headed now. The village is only about half a mile from here. You won't miss it."[/b] "Much appreciated."[/b] thanked the stranger, a sinister smile appearing on his face, and he resumed walking. After a few steps, he paused once more, glancing over his shoulder slightly. "Thorgrim, right?"[/b] "... Yes..."[/b] The stranger nodded, and continued walking, leaving Thorgrim in a daze of confusion and suspicion. The young man could have kicked himself - he had forgotten to ask what the stranger's name was! And then another thought hit him - Setcher. The traveller had come from the direction of Setcher's cave. Had the dragon been spotted? Thorgrim was unsure of what to do - should he continue on to the village, or return to check on Setcher? Naturally, Thorgrim would have continued to the village, knowing that Setcher could defend himself, but there was just something about that stranger... Sighing, Thorgrim turned, and began running back to Setcher's cave to check on the dragon one more time. He just had to be sure...[/color] [/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]
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Post by steampunkepsilon on Dec 6, 2011 20:52:56 GMT -5
[[ okay, good. I was afraid Setcher was gonna have to get in there... xD ]]
It wasn't long before his sleep -- and his mulling over the recent events -- was interrupted. He snorted and snuffed and finally drew one eye open begrudgingly, then the other, peering around the dimly lit cavern and towards the brighter outsider world with a look of severe disapproval before he huffed again and closed his eyes.
But there it was again - an uneasy feeling, a feeling of concern. He opened his eyes, glaring green from the back of the cavern, and shifted his legs under him, rolling onto them and standing enough to slink towards the edge of the bright light pouring into his little hideaway. It wasn't a sense of danger perhaps... but it was unnerving. Setcher narrowed his eyes and walked out a bit, slipping his head over the edge of the cliff and watching.
To his surprise, Thorgrim appeared before a few minutes had passed, running towards his lair. He perked up immediately, concerned -- had something happened? He almost feared that the wolves had returned, but he couldn't smell anything of that nature, and stood on the edge of the cliff tensely, awaiting an explanation for such a hurried return.
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Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Dec 9, 2011 5:46:06 GMT -5
Glancing anxiously up towards the edge of the cliff, Thorgrim awaited Setcher. 'C'mon, c'mon...' The Viking was beginning to think that he would have to call up towards the dragon, when Setcher appeared, no doubt also surprised at Thorgrim's hurried return. Thorgrim visibly breathed a sigh of relief - the dragon was unharmed, and most likely undiscovered. Coming to think of it, he was stupid - why would the stranger have climbed the cliff and found Setcher in the first place?
It was a slightly awkward situation: Thorgrim felt a little odd at the prospect of having to shout up towards Setcher in order to tell him what had happened, but he had little other choice. He was not about to scale the cliff again just to relay this information.
"Setcher!" Thorgrim called, cupping his hands around his mouth for amplification, making sure he had the dragon's attention. This message would have to be short. "Be careful! There's someone - a man - who might be lurking around here!"
Thorgrim was unsure if Setcher had fully understood his message, and he still felt awkward at delivering this message to a dragon, but he had to at least try to let Setcher know. In all honesty, even if the stranger had no reason to climb up the cliff, what if he caught sight of Setcher at night when he was not in the cave? From the stranger's eerie and almost otherworldly demeanour and appearance. Thorgrim was not about to take his chances.
"Be careful when out at night!" was Thorgrim's final message. He nodded one final time at Setcher, silently saying goodbye once more, before turning around and heading back to the village. Something told him his encounter with the stranger earlier would not be the only one...
[[Sorry for the shortness. =/ By the way, I had a plot idea - what about the next scene being Setcher out at night, with my new character prowling around? It could prove to be quite interesting ^^;; We don't have to if you have another idea, of course. ^^]]
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Post by steampunkepsilon on Dec 10, 2011 22:02:01 GMT -5
He had begun to scan the cliff below him with the intention of clambering down, but Thorgrim shouted up to him and he merely stood there, ears perked forward and head tilted as he watched and listened.
A strange man? That was discomforting, but Setcher brushed it off. Even injured and tired, he was far stronger than the average human. A pack of wolves was one thing to concern himself over, but one measly stranger? Pah. He shook his head and gave the boy a curt nod of assurance, before he turned and skittered back into the dark safety of his cliiff nook and crumpled back to the ground to sleep.
---
It wasn't until late into the night that he woke again, and it was a comfortable pitch-black outside save for the soft white moon glazing the earth. He yawned and stretched and relaxed for a moment before standing slowly and moving towards the front of the cavern. He was faintly sore, but gave a gentle shake and felt better, wings tucked in tightly against his body as he surveyed the forest.
It was quite beautiful, the stretch of trees sweeping downhill slightly and leading towards the flat-ish cliffs upon which the village of Berk stood, mountains all around on three sides and various valleys and shallows showing through in the evening light. It was lovely and he made a low grumbling noise in his throat of approval, and looked down.
It took a bit of hesitating and calculating before he could finally find the footholds in the crags of rock and thump to the ground, shakign himself and looking around. Thirsty, he was thirsty. The river wasn't too far away, and he started towards it.
[[ no probs xD and that works. ]]
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Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Dec 14, 2011 9:14:01 GMT -5
He could not risk being a minute late. Boot-clad feet silently stalked through the darkness of Berk's coastline forest. The ambience shimmered with the warm glow of fireflies, and the droning buzz of insects filled the chilling night-air. Pulling his cloak tighter against his lithe figure, the nomad made his way towards where he had come from earlier. He knew what lurked around there. The dragon. Yes. His prey.
An experienced tracker, his footfalls hardly made any noise. And the slightest amount they did was cloaked by the noise of the insects around him. All in all, his plan, carefully laid out in his mind, was slowly coming together at last. Thanks to his time in Berk, he now had a good idea of who this "Thorgrim" fellow was, and where he went. That vital information was essential to his plan.
-------------- ** F l a s h b a c k ** --------------
"Thorgrim. That's his name." the stranger spoke monotonously over the noise of conversation and laughter around him that filled the tavern. The Viking bartender regarded him with a suspicious glare. "Now, what be yer wantin' with him, hm? Our village don't take very kindly to strangers sticking their noses into other people's business..."
The stranger did not look up from his flagon of ale, inspecting the beverage as if his thirst had already been sated. Sighing, he tapped his finger a few times, idly, on the table, and then glanced back up at the Viking.
"I've told you already: I'm a relative of his, and he's not in the village at the moment. As far as I have gathered from one or two others, he doesn't stay with his parents any more. They're dead, and he has no other direct relatives here that I can go to. Is that enough reason for my wanting to know about him? Or must I go on?"
The Viking's expression of suspicion - almost contempt - did not change, and he gazed, unblinking, at the stranger, as if trying to judge whether this man was actually worth trusting.
"Tell you what," said the Viking, "I'll be tellin' yer about him. But if I hear yer laid a finger on him, I'll personally track yer down and deal with yer myself. Understood?"
The stranger nodded slowly, accepting the deal. He was not about to be intimidated by this Viking, despite his robust size. The stranger's bluff had worked - he had gained just enough trust to glean the information he needed.
"You can trust me. If I meant any harm, I would've just waited for him here in the village." the stranger said, and then delivered the question he needed answered, "So, I usually can't find him here because he's out in the forest at certain times of the day, hm..?"
-------------- ---- --------------
His cunning had earned him triumph. He had the boy's part in his plan all covered. Now all he needed to know about was the dragon. First, though, he had to find him. But he had faith that he come across the dragon sooner or later...
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Post by steampunkepsilon on Dec 18, 2011 1:33:26 GMT -5
He was still tired, though less groggy than had been when he had first woken, by the time he reached the river. Settlign down at the edge of it with his forelegs tucked under his chest and it wings tightly against his sides, he let his head dip below the surface and he took a few deep gulps of crisp, cold mountain water.
A pause, and then he dipped his head in again, and a third time. Once he had sated his third he laid there for a few minutes, lettign the icy chill of the water flow down his throat and into his chest and stomach, then warm with his body temperature. After a few minutes passed he stood and stretched lightly, turning and starting back towards his cavern tiredly.
It was about halfway back that he began to feel as though he were not alone, and for a moment he suspected something of a... canid nature, but there was no scent of wolf in the air, and he stopped in the center of the path, looking around and then movign on. Whatever it was, he had little reason to fear it, and could only hope they wouldn't be something large enough to irritate him, or make him have to dealw ith them with soreness and wounds.
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Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Dec 20, 2011 10:09:01 GMT -5
Tracking the dragon should not have been proving as much of a problem as it was, mused the stranger to himself. In all honesty, a beast of such an impressive size should have left clear trails or signs of its passage, but, as far as he could see, he could find none so far. Had it flown? No, the foliage around was too dense to permit enough space for outstretched wings. He concluded that he was most likely searching in the wrong location. Yes, that must have been it.
Sighing in a most vexed manner, he stopped to listen. Perhaps, if he was patient and paid more attention to his surroundings, the results would bear more fruit. Fruit - that reminded him of the dinner he had been hospitably served at the tavern in the village no more than two hours ago. His plan had worked well - for the most part, the Vikings had not suspected him of any cunning ploy, despite the apprehensive looks he had received from some of them. He did, however, have to end up paying them the knowledge of his name in return. Hadrian. He was originally going to merely give them a pseudonym - a fake name - to call him by, but he wanted to gain as much trust as possible, even if it made him feel slightly insecure about letting others know about his name. There was not much reason for him not to, anyways. They did not care too much.
Something pulled Hadrian out of his thoughts. There was something moving amidst the undergrowth - something large. Hadrian hastily pulled his cloak tighter, and quickly slipped under the shadowy cover behind a tree, one hand resting on the hilt of the crossbow, strapped to his back, that he had brought with him.
Peeking cautiously around the girth of the tree, his eyes widened in surprise. It was the dragon he sought! What luck! Cunningly, Hadrian calculated his next move. Yes, there was a good chance that the dragon was returning to its place of rest. If he could just track it back - that was all he needed to know: the location of its shelter. That was the final piece to finish his puzzle of a scheme. All he had to do now was follow it where it went, and make sure he remained undetected. Fortunately, he had taken several precautions to make sure such a feat was more easily achievable. He had smeared mud and mashed berries over his exposed skin, virtually cloaking most of his scent, and his dark-green cloak and cape provided adequate camouflage. All he had to do was move as quietly as possible, and, hopefully, remain undetected.
Carefully and slowly, he ducked beneath the leaves and branches of the shrubs, glancing over the top slightly to see what the dragon's next move would be.
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Post by steampunkepsilon on Dec 21, 2011 14:26:25 GMT -5
Tired and sated of his thirst, the Needleback dragon dragged himself back through the forest, pausing occasionally to glance about and question how alone he really was. At one point he even stopped and wheeled about, peering around him, into the trees and underbrush and then feeling rather foolish after realizing he wasn't being followed.
The cliff seemed even farther off from the river with him stopping and feeling increasingly paranoid every few minutes, but he did reach it finally and sighed, backing up and bolting forward before giving a lunge and a jump, and latching himself onto the side of the cliff. He scaled it, spines sticking up like the needles they were usually referred to as with effort, and pulled himself over the edge of the cavern, collapsing with a huff, tail dangling over the edge. Pulling himself up again, he walked towards the darkest back of the cave and flopped down, sighing and eagerly waiting for morning to come. He was curious as to where Thorgrim might have gone, and hopefully tomorrow the boy would be willing to make a trip and come see him...
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Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Dec 23, 2011 15:15:47 GMT -5
Almost done. Will post as soon as I can. :3 Sorry for the wait.
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Post by steampunkepsilon on Dec 24, 2011 12:57:14 GMT -5
No prob! :3
merry christmas!
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Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Dec 26, 2011 15:49:17 GMT -5
{{ooc: Thank you so very much! XD I hope you are enjoying your holidays. ^^}}
Hadrian could not risk messing up now. He was on the dragon's tail. Not literally, of course, otherwise he would have far more to worry about. If he was compromised now, his plan would be hopelessly scrambled - or would it? Hadrian, with a complacent smirk, knew he could probably concoct another scheme to obtain what he wanted. But it would prove to be much more difficult. Besides, right now, he was risking his life. He knew what dragons were capable of, and how easily one could overpower and kill a man. Especially one of such a rare breed...
Suddenly, the dragon wheeled around. Immediately, and not wasting a millisecond, Hadrian ducked under the cover of the undergrowth, hoping the great beast had not seen him. Just in case, he slipped a hand onto his crossbow. He had a steel bolt loaded, ready to fire, just in case, but the real question was: in the event of an attack, would he have enough time to pull the trigger? Lying flat on his stomach, Hadrain furtively glanced upwards, almost half-expecting the dragon to be right above him, bared teeth glistening in the sunlight. After a few seconds of hushed silence, he heard the padded footsteps of the dragon moving forward.
Suppressing a sigh of relief, Hadrian swiftly stood up, and quietly continued following once more. It could not be long now until the dragon led him to its home. And then, the final piece would be in place, and he could carry out his cunning scheme.
The dragon led Hadrian to the side of a cliff, and the man crept behind a tree, peeking around its trunk, curiously. Was this it? The dragon leapt up, ascending the cliff swiftly, and then disappeared into what appeared to be a cave. Of course! This must be it! Hadrain grinned. He had ascertained that this indeed was the dragon's resting-place. Not wanting to waste a second, and with a newfound eagerness, the man turned and disappeared into the forest, heading towards the village. Now it was time to set his plan in motion. Starting with his first objective: Thorgrim.
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Post by steampunkepsilon on Dec 28, 2011 19:11:18 GMT -5
Below him, a twig snapped, and the dragon snapped to attention in response.
He knew of the nature of night creatures, and they were not commonly known for so easily snapping branches. He was tired enough to have written it off as some clutzy beast, but he had held a nagging feeling that he was being followed the whole night through, and sitting upright, he crept over the stone floor and sat at the mouth of his cave, head resting on the ground, watching intently.
He was suspicious now -- he wouldn't be sleeping.
[[I'm sorry it's so short. I couldn't think of anything else... And I did enjoy my holidays! Did you as well? ]]
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Post by Ӊ ӑ z ҿ on Dec 30, 2011 10:39:53 GMT -5
[[ It's perfectly alright. ^^ *hugs* And I'm glad to hear that! :3 As for my holidays, I'm enjoying them as well. ^^ It's a bit of a scary thought to think it's almost 2012 already - 2011 seemed to rush by, for me. XD ]]
Morning - the fresh start to a rather promising new day, Thorgrim thought as he downed his cup of fruit juice. Nearby, several other young people - roughly Thorgrim's age - whose own parents had been slain, killed or otherwise had abandoned them, also enjoyed their breakfast. It was a sorrowful sight at first, but Thorgrim hardly thought about what he had lost. He had been too young when his parents had been killed to actually remember them clearly. He had been but a toddler of two. The fact that his parents had been removed from him did not bother him as much as the question of what exactly had happened to them did. Realizing where his thoughts were drifting, the young Viking sighed, and stood up, politely excusing himself, and stepped outside.
He had to refocus himself on happier things - and what would be a better way to do it then pay Setcher a visit? Thorgrim smiled. Already, the prospect of seeing his dragon-friend again and being in his company brought relieving happiness.
A few minutes later, Thorgrim had passed through the village gates. The familiar, pine-and-cinnamon scent of the forest met his nostrils, and the breeze of the forest caressed him. He loved being outside - it gave him a sense of liberty, and freedom - that a world lay just outside the village, waiting to be explored.
Suddenly, the stranger Thorgrim had seen appeared from behind one of the tall trees. Thorgrim stopped, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Morning, Thorgrim," he greeted, once again having donned his cloak, hood and leather armour. Something Thorgrim noticed that made a chill run down his spine was the crossbow that was strapped to the stranger's back. A quiver - full of steel bolts, whose menacing, serrated points looked dangerous enough to pierce through a man entirely - hung at his hip.
"Morning --" began Thorgrim, when suddenly the stranger - within a second - had the crossbow aimed directly at Thorgrim. Thorgrim's eyes widened in shock, and he immediately unsheathed his sword in retaliation, but it was clear whose side the odds were on.
"Don't be a fool, boy. Sheathe your sword, or I'll send a bolt through your heart." threatened Hadrian. Slowly and shakily, Thorgrim complied, and slid his sword back into its scabbard. He knew that, even if he managed to close the distance on the stranger with his sword without being shot, the stranger most likely was an adept swordsman, too.
"Clever. Now turn around." ordered Hadrian, walking towards Thorgrim with his crossbow still raised. Wordlessly, Thorgrim turned, his back faced towards Hadrian. In all honesty, he was scared - but, at the same time, he was angry. He should have known, all along, that this stranger was not to be trusted!
"You'll see your dragon-friend soon enough, boy. For now, though - goodnight." Before Thorgrim knew what was happening, Hadrian clubbed him mightily over the head with the hilt of his crossbow, and everything went black for the Viking.
- - - - - - - - -
"Come out, dragon!" shouted Hadrian. He was standing just below the cliff-face, calling out towards the cave which he knew served the electric needleback as a home. He held his crossbow in one hand, with it pointed towards Thorgrim, whom he held in his other arm. The Viking had not yet come to.
"You see who I have here? If you want him to stay alive, come out!"
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Post by steampunkepsilon on Dec 30, 2011 12:12:18 GMT -5
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